More Castles you say? Well Give the people what they want.

Part 8: Urquhart Castle and Loch Ness

Today we got up on the early side to take the long trip down to the Isle of Skye, which is about four hours away, but fear not, for we had much to do in the meantime. Therefore we moved out of Aberdeenshire towards the western coast. After about an hour and a half we reached Inverness where the river Ness begins that will become a loch, it also happens to be the ancient home of the Picts, the native people of Scotland. This leads us the Urquhart Castle at little farther down the loch.

http://www.photo-pimp.com/kim/misc/Urquhart%20Castle.jpg

The legend of Urquhart castle is that sometime around 500 A.D. St. Columba,

http://historyofscience.com/G2I/timeline/images/st_columba.jpg

(who I was surprised to learn has little to no association with these two things:

http://wizzyswandrings.files.wordpress.com/2008/06/columbo.jpg

http://www.primosdowntowntampa.com/images/P/yogurt.jpg )

came across the Pict chieftain who lay dying, but just as he was about to pass St. Columba blessed and baptized him, and the next in line said they would build a great castle on that spot. And so they did. Well, they build a stone house that would BECOME a castle.

Urquhart was then, like many other castles built upon by generation after generation until it became a sprawling campus-like setting where one could find A lord, his servants and their servants; A lady, her ladies in waiting and their servants, their friends with their servants and their servants’ servants, a Chaplain with, well you get the picture. All I’m saying there must have been a ton of thatched roofing going around this place. The most coveted job, at least in my opinion, would have been that of the Ale wife, if you’re wondering what that job is, it’s exactly what it sounds like. The whole campus sits along the edge of the water like a great heavy ragged whale washed upon the shore, a dark ominous mass which is riddled with holes and history. The high light of the Castle is the Tall tower in which the Lord would have lived. It overlooks the sea and though the Castle is exposed and destroyed does not mean it is any less imposing, in fact it has the worn visage that you might see on someone who has lived a lot of life, scarred but powerful. In this particular tower if you look hard enough you can find graffiti dating all the way back to 1881.

The most interesting element of this castle however is how it became a ruin. Sure it had been subject to Viking attack after Viking attack but what really did it in was it’s owner. In 1692 the Williamite owners of the castle, knowing that they were to be taken over by the Jacobeans blew up the castle and everything in it rather than have it given up to the enemy.

And so we went farther down the famous loch and took the opportunity to avoid the tackiest of Nessie shops. Sometimes I actually like kitschy things like that, examples being South of the Border, S.C. and the Corn Palace, but I was having none of it this time. The palpable beauty of the landscape did more for the soul than a shot glass with a cartoon water dragon could ever bring me. I did buy stamps and candy though.

Part 9: Landscapes. Landscapes. Landscapes.

My God does the north of Scotland look like the Pacific Northwest. I mean it’s almost uncanny. All you need is the local football team in a school bus chanting relentlessly. I imagine that the climate is what makes that so, similar to Oregon and Washington the general weather is that of grey compliance and rain. But in the few days we’ve had here the sun has been so bright that everything look as if its stepped out of a fairy tale. The fog rolls off the hill and you can almost spot Brigadoon.

The other thing to notice is how the landscapes really lead into the colors of the kilts, the regionalism of these clothes cannot be understated. If you lived by a lake your color would be blue, navy for the magpies, red for the ground, things like that. And watching the many shades of green hue and reinvent themselves one can see them in a whole new light. Plus, you know, plaid. Who doesn’t love plaid?

Part 10: Eilean Donan Castle

Are you getting tired of Castles? Yes? Well too bad there’s one more on the way and it’s a lovely one. Lo! Eilean Donan Castle the most photographed Castle in Scotland…apparently.

http://www.etravelreviews.com/eileandonan/

Eilean Donan is still the ancestral home of Clan MacRae, who still use the castle from time to time. The castle has two legends of Origin:

The first being one about a boy who can speak to birds and is told by the birds that one day he will be master of all the land, the current clan leader finds this appalling and sends the boy away. The boy then makes his fortune using his ability to speak to birds and returns to the village a wealthy man. The clan chieftain, who does not recognize him then prepares a feast for him and offers him his daughter in marriage, thus fulfilling the prophecy. Then they built a castle.

The second and much cooler myth is that the King of the Otters, who was known by his fur of gleaming silver and gold had traveled far and wide to find a place of pure perfection. After many years of searching he finally came across an island in the middle of the loch and went ashore with the rest of the Otters. Then he turned to his followers and told them this was where he was to die and that he was sorry to leave them but he had brought them to this most beautiful of places so that they may live there. And with that the king of the Otters died and the other Otters were so saddened by his passing and so touched by this last act of kindness that they all turned into stones and became the foundation for the castle as a testament to their leader. It is said that the Otters in the lake come to pay tribute to this act of kindness and will too eventually turn to stone at the bottom of the loch.

However! In reality the story is much more straightforward. Originally constructed in the middle ages to keep away Vikings, like many other castles it eventually fell to time and war, that is until the 1930s when one of the descendents of Clan MacRae decided to buy it, reconstruct it and live in it with his family. Lt. Col. John MacRae-Gilstrap then went about painfully reconstructing the castle to make it nearly identical to what had existed in the Middle Ages. I am torn by this, on one side I admire his strength in not subjecting the castle to an art-deco addition, but at the same time did it have to be exactly the same? Not to sound too much like a juror at a critique but, where’s you in this project?

But I think that’s nit-picking. It is beautiful out on a rock in the middle of the river and since it was a clear day we could see all the way to the Isle of Skye.

You might recognize Eilean Donan Castle from the following movies:

The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes (1970)

Highlander (1985)

The World Is Not Enough (1999)

Elizabeth: The Golden Age (2007)

Part 11: The Isle of Skye.

There is something so terribly beautiful about the Isle of Skye that you feel feeble in its prescence. I know that’s a little cliché because EVERYBODY says that, but EVERYBODY also says the Mona Lisa is beautiful. I’m just saying.

Unlike the Pacific Northwest similarities you find near Loch Ness, the Isle of Skye is mountains and glens that dance and shoot out beautifully and the hills are so lush with grasses that they look like great expansive expensive emerald green furs.

http://www.caranddriving.com/features2/300/travel%20-%20motoring%20in%20isle%20of%20skye.jpg

Did I mention waterfalls? They also have waterfalls.

The first time we stopped was on in the town of Portree which is pretty cute with Caribbean painted buildings and the low ringing and clanging of boats. We had dinner there next to the harbor.

The other thing to mention about Skye is the White-tailed Sea Eagle. The Sea Eagle bears a striking resemblance to the North American Bald eagle, which makes sense, seeing how they are in the same family. The only real exception being while the Bald Eagle is pure white on its head the Sea Eagle has a more caramel colored plumage at the top. They are beautiful birds and I hate birds.

So that’s it for now, stay tuned for the Portsoy Wooden Boat Festival.

Scotland Wars: The Gardens Attack

Part 6: The Fishing Villages of the North and Pitmedden Garden

This morning we drove along the coast of the North Sea and enjoyed the quaint pleaseantness of towns like, Cullen, Banff, Portknockie, Findochdie and a series of other towns which are surprisingly difficult to pronounce. The best, in my opinion, being Portsoy and Pennan. All of these towns have a very similar style of houses, low to the ground, painted in lighter color with wooden doors and tiled roofs. Higher up on the hills sometimes are the more Victorian style (think Oak Park, Il.) houses using all the same kind of brown-stone rather than the found stone of the houses by the harbors, in these houses you can find some of that well-known ginger breading but never in wood, always in carved stone, with a formal room in the front and an upstairs that overlooks and identical building across the street. Even farther back you can typically find newer developments which try and copy the vernacular but seemed to have gotten their wires crossed with a ranch-style with exposed wood paneling and instead of the traditional slate tile they use a version of Mexican roof tiles. I don’t know, you tell me, who thought that looked good? It doesn’t. I’m not against re-inventing a style, but it seems as if the sources are almost too eclectic and in combining them they seem to be losing their train of thought, just a little too ambitious I guess.

Pennan is interesting mostly because it was the setting of the fictional town of Ferness in the 1983 movie Local Hero it’s a picturesque village where the wind wafts off the sea and there are, apparently, dolphins, otters and seals. Though mostly all I saw rocks.

In Cullen was one of my favorite parts of the day which was the pet cemetery, and unlike other pet cemeteries I’ve heard of the animals you bury here do not come back to life inexplicably evil and thirsty for human blood. In this, non-revenge-seeking pet cemetery was the loving tributes to loyal bygone friends. And if even if it’s someone else’s Smudge, Snoopy, Lassie or even Julie, the hamster, it makes you remember the first time you lost a pet.

Ohh, Goldy the goldfish, the good die young…often from overfeeding.

The next on our adventure was the gardens of Pitmedden. The Pitmedden gardens were at one time owned the Seaton family, who had once been royalist flag bearers for the king. The gardens were created to show off the wealth and power of the Setons in 1675, but fell then after into abandonment. They were recreated in the 1950s and are owned by the National Trust for Scotland however they seem to be suffering from hard times. Lilies replaced with pansies, things like that. This by no means discredits the garden’s beauty; in fact it’s a testament to box hedges. They go on and on creating a meticulously perfect walk through the gardens. But great testaments to wealth are often as difficult to maintain as they are to create. Just look at the Seagram building.

Part 7: Fyvie Castle.

In 1982 Fyvie Castle was in terrible peril. Like the Pitmedden gardens the owners could no longer afford to maintain the opulence and had put it up for auction. Fearing that their national treasure would be lost forever the National Trust for Scotland leapt into action and along with the heir to the castle Sir Andrew Forbes-Leith saved the Castle from a fate worse than debt.

Instead now you get to enjoy this castle for a small fee. This castle was originally established in 1370 by the grandson of Robert the Bruce of Braveheart legend. It was then expanded, attacked, shrank, expanded, attacked, attacked, shrank, abandoned, expanded, expanded and there you have it over 700 years of history. The exterior of this building is an undulating and serene expanse of stone and stucco, again with characteristically small windows but rather than the typical medieval pitched roof you can spot later Elizabethan-aged turreted additions. The interior is a mish-mask of medieval, renaissance, baroque and regency neo classical with sprigs of modern thrown in here and there (Plumbing! There’s plumbing!)

The most astonishing feature of Fyvie castle was the Art; during their zenith of the Leith family’s control over the castle they had Henry Raeburn as their artist-in-residence. Raeburn was the preeminent Scottish painter at the time, proving portraits for Sir Walter Scott, Robert Fergusson and of course, this guy:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/75/The_Skating_Minister.jpg

They also had an entire set of Hogarth original prints, from 1747,just hanging out in a hallway. I haven’t been that shocked since the slightly damaged Diego Rivera sketches at Falling water. These Hogarths were actually a full set of the story of Industry and Idleness, what is essentially a Gofus and Gallant story. Sometimes you got to wonder about Hogarth, was he aware, even a little bit of the heavy handed story telling. I mean really, Gallant becomes the Mayor of London and Gofus is executed for something. Robbery, maybe? Who knows? I mean either way it turns out mediocrity does not exist in the mind of William Hogarth.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Industry_and_Idleness

Towards the end we see some larger scale portraits of Admiral Nelson, indicating he was on friendly terms with the family and a spectacular gallery. That or they wanted everyone to think they were friends. Kind of like that time I got my picture taken with Goofy at Disneyworld.

Next time on Blog:

Is Urquhart Castle having a love affair with Loch Ness?

Will the Isle of Skye’s Sea Eagles continue to imitate the North American Bald Eagle?

And Landscape, Landscape, Landscape.

Scottish Adventures Part Duex

Part 4: Cawdor Castle

After waking up in a fog the sun rose into what seemed to be an opulent kind of brilliance and after a brief walk down by the rigs, we headed towards Cawdor Castle. Cawdor Castle is known by those in the area as “Macbeth” castle…or if you’re superstitious “The Scottish” castle. (This, I am sure, gets confusing) The reason it is called Macbeth castle is this is where the –Historical- Macbeth Mac Bethad mac Findlaích had ruled Scotland from 1040-1057 AD and unlike the Macbeth of the Bard’s retelling, this Macbeth was actually a pretty decent king, who had won his crown after his predecessor Donnchad mac Crínáin or Duncan I (who was a young man, and not an old, wise, paternal figure) was killed by his own men near Elgin after attempting to invade Macbeth's land. As for Lady Macbeth, her real name being Gruoch Boite, there is no historical evidence of her being a heinous cow.

Architecturally the castle was an intriguing introduction to the Scottish vernacular, there was that lingering sense of the utilitarian that had been attempted to be softened over time by adding a 17^th century addition, a few hedged labyrinths, foxglove, topiaries and obviously, a nine-hole golf course. One of the more interesting aspects of the castle was down near the dungeons, which had allegedly been the foundation where a holly tree still stands. The holly tree, according to legend, had been a sign sent by God as to where the Thanes of Cawdor were tobuild their headquarters. However now the tree branches have been siphoned off and could be mistaken for any kind of tree, personally I think the Holly is just there for Christian symbolism and it really could have been any kind of tree.

The most noticeable thing about this castle was the lack of windows. Some Architects would say that it’s a huge problem not to have expansive windows (I’m looking at you Palladio) and that by doing so, you fight against nature and your relationship with it. My response in this case is: It gets really cold here and they didn’t have double pane glass in the 9^th century. Give them a break. Glass is a luxury and one that Thanes, could not afford in a war-torn and clan-run culture, Brocade yes, Glass, no. Tapestries a must, I mean what else would you hide behind to hear someone’s asides and monologues?

I almost have to argue that the lack of windows makes the light ever-so-much-more precious than it would be otherwise. There is almost a poetic exoticism to the light as it shafts down through a balistraria, as if it may be the last light you ever see.

Part 5: Culloden Battle Field

Ahh, the Jacobites, is there nothing you can succeed at? It’s like every time you get your neck ruff just right, some Hanoverian comes out on nowhere and ruins everything. First you’re all like, “Let’s grant non-anglicans religious freedom” and then they’re all like “ pfft…eff that. Let’s have a Glorious Revolution and force you to flee to France instead”. Then, just as you think everything is going to be all right. BAM! Battle of Culloden.

Basically the Battle of Culloden was Scotland’s Gettysburg, it didn’t end the war, but after that it was pretty clear how this war was going to end. Also like Gettysburg, it’s a battle that still brings up pangs in the national gut of Scotland. In the end it panned out well for the Hanoverians, not so much for the Jacobites, and more importantly, the native clans of Scotland. The clans, who up until this point had kept their traditional dress and customs, were more than happy to jump the bandwagon for “Bonnie Prince Charlie” (who, if the Jacobites had won, would have granted them civil, cultural and religious liberties the kind of which they had not seen in centuries). However when it proved that the Bonnie Prince, (or “The Young Pretender” as he was known on the Hanoverian side) was not the great savior that had been praised, but rather a spoiled brat who had wanted more power and skived off to Rome after this great defeat, the clans paid dearly for it.

So why did the Jacobites lose? They had financial support from France, a pretty passionate group of followers as well as political influence in many metropolitan areas, such as Edinburgh. So what happened? Well I think we can grope the simplest answer from this painting.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d5/The_Battle_of_Culloden.jpg

Never bring a knife to a gun fight.

After the battle the English forces ransacked the villages to smoke out whoever had fought against them most of them being either killed, banished, shipped off to the Americas, or in the case of the French, made prisoners of war, the wounded Scotsmen were forcibly denied treatment for their wounds and many died from infection as a result. The French had it the luckiest, they would be given back in troop exchange, for the rest of the Jacobites, this was treason and therefore the British could do whatever they wanted to them.

The most painful result of this war was the banning of their heritage, after the battle of Culloden clans and tribes were dispersed, no kilts or plaid were to be worn and under penalty of death one would be forced to pledge allegiance to the Hanoverian crown. This subjugation would continue until 10 years ago when the Scottish parliament was established in Edinburgh.

Then we had a picnic outside the visitor center.

For more thoughts on the Scottish Parliament building and a really bad pun:

http://wolveswithkeys.livejournal.com/2007/11/04/

Scotland Trip Day 1

Part 1: DC to Paris

Some claim that trading in American Express miles would therefore mean that the tickets you received are free, this is a slightly incorrect claim, they are not free, you pay in suffering.

I know that sounds overdramatic, but take the journey with me here, on the epic flight from DC to Paris.

Step one: the seat was incredibly cramped and we were right near the bathroom so every about 5 min or so came the unmistakable stench of human refuse and lemon pine-sol. Step two: As it happened the man in front of me had the legs of a giant so therefore pushed his seat all the way to the back and his scalp and I had a brief but meaningful relationship, as in there was dandruff in my drink. Step three: Across the aisle were the two loudest German teenagers in his history of German teenagers (and that INCLUDES Martin Luther), so every time you get closer to drifting to sleep comes another comment about the armrest not being shared properly. However! On the plus side, wine is free on Air France so I decided to drink like a champ. This was a mistake when we finally got to Charles De Galle and I met with my ancient enemy, the wine hangover. the wineover.

Part 2: Paris to Aberdeen

One thing I’ve always loved about Charles de Galle, are the rabbits. Architecturally its alright but those bunnies are the whole reason to go. They live under the runway and run in the green patches inbetween the airplanes. Don’t believe me? PROOF!

http://www.jaunted.com/files/admin/runwaybunny.png/

Though I’m not sure the bunnies aren’t completely deaf, what with sensitive ears and massive airplanes landing above their houses all the time. Well, maybe they don’t move because it’s the only place in Paris that’s rent-controlled.

The flight to Aberdeen was considerably easier as I slept through the entirety of it. When we arrived in Aberdeen we picked up the rent-a-car and drove to the town of Buckie on the North Sea. We’re staying at my aunt and uncle's and while I was told repeatedly that the weather was going to be terrible, the sun shone relentlessly..until 11:30 at night.

Part 3: Welcome to Buckie

Buckie is a tiny fishing town on the North sea of Scotland and its beautiful, we’re staying at a house that is directly next to the water, its almost enough to want to sing a sea chantey. IN FACT I think I will.

When I wasa little boy so my mother told me, to me
Way haul away, we'll haul away Joe

That if I did not kiss the girls, my lips would all grow mouldy, to me
Way haul away, we'll haul away Joe

Way haul away, the good ship now is rolling, to me
Way haul away, we'll haul away Joe

Ahhh….the sea.

As for the town of itself BEHOLD! Bustling downtown Buckie:

http://www.geo.ed.ac.uk/scotgaz/images/p4436.jpg

It’s really a charming place though, I’ll be sure to explore it more when I have the energy to move.

Shilling with the highest degree of respect

Just in case you desperately need some art. I now have a store available at Etsy.com

http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=7527502

If you would like something commissioned
Commissioned , just email me at

MollyatEtsy@gmail.com

Reflecting Back

I am still unable to process that I don't have any more reviews to prepare for, no more desk crits to endure, no more jurors to fend off.  It's absolutely over.

As I find ways to pass the time in my unemployment, I find the occasion to think back over the past year or past five years.  It's been long.  It's been painful.  But it's been necessary.

I received my copy of my process book in the mail yesterday.  This morning must have been the fourth time I've paged through it.  Man it is long.  It's 167 pages.  And about 100 of those pages document the process work I've done in the spring semester.

What's funny, in an ironic sort of way, is that as I'm looking through these pages, particularly at earlier schemes, I find ideas that I had presented to earlier jurors, who subsequently shot them down instantaneously.  At the final crit, though, these same ideas were the ones the jurors were throwing out at me in their rebuttal.  Hmm.  You really never can win.  Much like the customers at my yardsale this weekend, jurors always want to undercut you.

I wonder if Retley will be reading this ever again?  We needs to be in touch.  And I need an actual profile picture.

Winter Break

Well, since I can't remember what we talked about threading up in here, Cormy, I am making a new post.  This one shall define all these elaborate ambitions I plan to accomplish over the break.  I am suspecting that perhaps one or two of the items may even be attempted, much less completed.

1.)  Site model(s) - not yet certain how grand an area to select, though I suspect a couple blocks to either side should suffice.  Should probably include each of the selected sites although it is unclear yet as to whether or not I shall be doing all 4 or just 2 or 3.

2.)  Program study - to discern pragmatics of gas stations, with particular emphasis on below grade tanks, building codes, scheduling and negotiation of fuel replenishment, pump specifications, among other things.

3.)  Legitimate site analysis - thusfar it is mostly surface scratching.  I have done research of historical and current conditions, but have done no real first hand reconnaisance.

4.)  This kind of site analysis will make it easier to develop appropriate concepts and/or program manipulations and/or site responses.  Depends how you look at it I suppose.

5.)  Look into this competition deal that is supposed to happen at the start of the sem.

6.)  Oh, and also finish reading them books.

Corm, what were we going to write about in here?  Let's find some hooligans to join our "blog."